Love You Only
by Sunfreak
Summary: Alternate timeline; Daiken. The Kaiser's finally been defeated . . . now, what to do about Ken?
1. Bathroom Therapy

A/N: If you're familiar with my writing, you may have heard about my somewhat infamous red notebook, which has a relatively respectable amount of stories and poems in it for me to type up. Any fic labeled "Red Notebook" in the author's notes is one of these; i.e., "Sincerely, Mimi," which is a Red Notebook Mimato.  
  
"Love You Only" is one of the longer stories held therein. The thing is, I absolutely loathe writing things over, so it's taken me a while to start posting from the danged thing. There are at least twelve stories inside it, most of which are Digimon- inspired and including this particular series and another multi- chap, "A Digital Fairy Tale," which I'm also working on typing up right now (translation: I've bribed lost sanities with candy and she's gonna do it for me. Go read her stuff in gratitude, but if it takes her a while to update, you'll know why ^_^;;).  
  
Now, this particular story would be an alternate timeline starting from the defeat of Ken by the 02 Chosen Children. Basically it's all shameless fluff and angst, with a bit of sexual tension (read: YAOI, children!) and growing up thrown in for the hell of it. As of this writing, this series contains five connected (four of which are yet to be typed) short stories.  
  
Daisuke's POV.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"Bathroom Therapy"  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
Ohhh, this isn't good, this isn't good; this so totally can NOT be good.  
  
Okay, let's review: Defeated the Digimon Kaiser (thank God for Wormmon). Said Digimon Kaiser went catatonic. Went back to the real world. Took our semi-conscious nemesis (ex-nemesis?) to my place since we didn't have anywhere better to stick him 'til he woke up and no desire to explain where he's been the past few months to his parents. Snuck V-mon and Ken in past Jun; then sent the other Chosen Children home, swearing I could handle it (yeah, right). Put Chibimon to bed with a snack that consisted of half the fridge and dumped the unresisting Ken into the bathtub, clothes and all, to try and clean him up a bit.  
  
Oh yeah, and then we started kissing- but that so wasn't my fault.  
  
All right then, I'm in a half-full bathtub with all my clothes still on and playing Slippery-Lippery with my recently defeated mortal enemy . . . now what?  
  
Well, I guess I could always stand up.  
  
Ken looks up at me as I get to my feet and promptly misunderstands, reaching for the waistband of my jeans.  
  
Geez, and they call ME blatant.  
  
"No, that's not what I had in mind, dude," I say quickly, grabbing his wrists before he gets any more bright ideas. "We're still a little young for that, y'know?"  
  
"I know," he says softly, and, surprised, I release him. This is the first time he's actually spoken since we brought him back to the real world- or, more specifically, since Wormmon died.  
  
"Then why are you hitting on me?" I demand, feeling inexplicably angry. "We're not exactly the idea of a dream duo here."  
  
For a long moment, Ken doesn't speak- then, slowly: "I . . . don't want to be alone any more." He looks up at me, bluish- purple eyes searching my face. I don't know what he's looking for, but I met his gaze. "Wormmon is gone," he adds finally. "And so is Osamu."  
  
As if I'm supposed to know who "Osamu" is- I barely even know Ken himself, except through our fights and the odd segment on the news about his latest great accomplishment.  
  
But Wormmon? I could understand what it was like to lose him. After all, I've got a partner of my own, don't I?  
  
For a moment, I imagine life without V-mon- and to my shock, I instantly understand just how horrible Ken feels right now. Because I can't DO it. I can't imagine living without V-mon. I cannot picture my life without sneaking him in and out of my house at odd hours, without having to run from angry freaks of technology as he struggles to digivolve to a new level, or without this stupid little Digivice permanently attached to my hip. Losing V-mon would be as bad as losing myself.  
  
I just look at Ken, knowing there's nothing that I can really say right now. He's dripping with wet sand and soapy water, still fully dressed and his hair mussed beyond belief- in short, the guy's a mess.  
  
And I don't think I've ever seen anyone more amazing.  
  
"It's okay," I say softly, taking a seat on the edge of the bathtub. "You're not gonna be alone anymore. You're one of us now."  
  
He looks up at me, and the expression on his face . . . No human has ever looked at me like that before. Like they trusted me. Looked up to me . . . Believed in me.  
  
I'm getting REALLY nervous now. It was bad enough when I thought he only wanted to make out with me; but now he's acting like I'm supposed to be the adult here. Me, probably the LEAST mature member of the Chosen Children, playing babysitter (and worse, kaiserin) to Ken Ichijouji, boy genius and self- proclaimed ruler of the entire digital world.  
  
Irony really sucks.  
  
Ken leans over a little, his head in my lap and arm pillowed under his chin. He looks exhausted, and I can barely stifle a yawn as I recall just how late it really is.  
  
"Your first name is Daisuke, correct?" Ken asks tiredly. I nod a little blearily and he falls silent again for a while, and then murmurs, "Daisuke Motomiya: leader of the Chosen Children," almost more to himself than me.  
  
I just shrug and half-consciously brush his hair out of his face. "Not really," I reply idly. "That's what Taichi said, and sometimes the others listen to me when we're in really serious trouble, but I'm not much for responsibility or heroics. And I'm definitely not smart enough for the job. I think the others would rather follow Takeru- or better yet, Taichi himself."  
  
He's quiet again for a minute, then says: "I'd rather follow you."  
  
For some reason, I smile. "Thanks, Ken."  
  
"You don't have to thank me for something like that. Not ever," he says softly, bracing an arm on either side of me and getting to his knees to kiss me again. This time, I don't hesitate to return the gesture.  
  
As I reach out to hold a hand to his cheek, I can't help but notice that this is about where we came in. I don't know what's gonna happen tomorrow; don't know if the others are gonna forgive him . . . Right now, the only thing I DO know for sure is that my heart's in my throat and my stomach's full of butterflies, but everything's wonderful. You know what I mean . . .  
  
The way you feel when you're starting to fall for someone.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
* tbc . . . *  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
A/N: Kaiserin: kai-ser-in, n. A German empress, or the wife of a German emperor.  
  
In other words, it's the female version of a kaiser. *evil snigger* Can't you just SEE it- Daisuke Motomiya, Digimon Kaiserin. ^_^ With a whip and a miniskirt and . . . um. Maybe I should be saving this line of thinking for a more smut- oriented story.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
. : . . . you're still here? O_O why haven't you *reviewed*?! : . 


	2. Love Among the Eggs

A/N: Wai, Bex typed the next chappie up! -^__^- Unfortunately, it was received at four a.m., so forgive us any typos- I edited this while only semi-conscious. ^_^;; Meh.  
  
Hm, this is a lot longer than my usual chapters- that's what comes from writing it on paper first, I guess.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"Love Among the Eggs"  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
This is probably the scariest thing that I'll ever do. The others would kill me if they knew what we were up to- bringing the Digimon Emperor back to the Digital World? I'll admit that it's far from being one of my better ideas.  
  
Chibimon is hanging around my neck, and I've got my Digivice in one hand and Ken clinging to the other for dear life. I've never felt less heroic or more worried in my life as I lift my digivice to face the computer in front of us. We'd had to break into the school's computer lab because mine was down and getting to Ken's would've been next to impossible, seeing as he was still supposedly a missing person.  
  
"Digiport, open!" I yell, pleased to hear that my voice remains totally confident.  
  
"DAISUKE!" I hear Ken shriek as we pass through whatever it is that keeps the digital world apart from ours. He tightens his grip on me and buries his face in my shoulder. I automatically return the embrace and cast a quick glance around as we tumble through that brief slice of infinity, riots of color and binary code sending my head spinning. This instant- sometimes I think I live for it. No matter how often we do this, it's still such a rush.  
  
Our feet hit the ground and I stagger slightly under V-mon's increased weight. Ken's still clinging to me, tears streaking his cheeks, and I'm this close to falling on my butt, but the others don't seem to notice my lack of equilibrium and neither lets go.  
  
"Ken, dude, you've probably come here more than I have, " I point out after a quick balancing act. "What's with the panic attack?"  
  
Ken finally lets go of me, slumping to his knees and turning bright red with embarrassment. "I'm sorry," he mumbles. "It's just- For a moment, I was afraid that when I came back, I'd . . . I'd be bad again." He laughs unconvincingly. "I- isn't that silly?"  
  
I soften instantly, kneeling beside him. "It's okay, Ken," I say, hoping that I sound at least slightly soothing. "You're not evil anymore. You'll never be evil. Remember what I told you last night? You're one of us. A Chosen Child. So even if you do fall, we'll always be there to catch you."  
  
"You promise, Daisuke?" he whispers, expression pained.  
  
"Dude, I swear it on my digimentals!" I tell him with a grin, flashing the 'V-for-victory' sign with one hand and putting the other over my heart. "So cheer up! Wormmon's gonna hatch any day now; don't you wanna be there when he does?"  
  
"Uh-huh." Ken nods timidly and I pull him to his feet.  
  
"Then let's go find Primary Village!" I urge, dragging him forward.  
  
"Daisuke, Primary Village is that way." V-mon points in the opposite direction.  
  
"I knew that," I say quickly, turning a one-eighty and heading off again. Behind me, I hear Ken chuckle, and everything's suddenly warm and kind of fuzzy around the edges. I've never heard him laugh before, unless those psychotic hysterics the Digimon Emperor used to pull count.  
  
"Dai . . . Daisuke . . ." Ken begins hesitantly as we enter a sparse forest. "Are you sure that Wormmon's going to be there?"  
  
"Of course I'm sure!" I promise fiercely. "Digimon who die like Wormmon did don't stay dead, they get reconfigured!"  
  
"Daisuke's right!" V-mon pipes up. "Patamon told me he did it once!"  
  
I blink and stumble over a root; Ken tries to steady me but instead I knock us both over into a tangle of arms and legs. To my alarm, we roll through a pricker bush and down the hill hidden behind it.  
  
"Oww . . ." Ken mumbles as soon as we hit bottom.  
  
"Daisuke, are you okay?!" V-mon cries, running down the hill after us. "What happened?!"  
  
"When did Patamon die?!" I demand as I struggle to detangle myself from Ken. Veemon launches into a long explanation about the first group of Chosen and some nutjob called Devimon, but I'm not really paying attention anymore.  
  
Ken stares up at me, his eyes large and dark and face flushed. I'm half-straddling him, and I can feel my own face heating up. He shifts slightly and his hip brushes the inside of my thigh. Is it possible to die of embarrassment?  
  
We quickly pull apart, and Veemon, oblivious to our crippling humiliation, bounces into my lap and points ahead. "Daisuke, look! It's Primary Village!" he cries gleefully. "I told ya it was over here!"  
  
"Yeah, you did," I admit ruefully, rubbing his head. "C'mon, let's go figure out where they keep the eggs." I slide down the slick hillside in a standing position. Veemon and Ken follow me, Veemon gliding down on his stomach. Ken tries to imitate me, but his feet shoot out from under him when he hits a mud puddle and he winds up skidding down the hill on his backside and landing in an even bigger puddle.  
  
"Augh!" he cries, whipping his head up and sending mud splattering every which way. "What a mess!"  
  
"I could always give you another bath . . ." I suggest with a little grin. Ken quickly looks away, blushing fiercely. I pull off my glove and help him up, careful not to fall in myself.  
  
Ken was right; he is a mess. His hair's hanging in gritty clumps, his clothes are soaked, and his skin is smeared with mud and grass stains. I find myself thinking back to last night, when he was in the bathtub and looking particularly pathetic. Then, I thought he was amazing. Right now, though . . .  
  
Right now he's beautiful.  
  
On impulse, I kiss his cheek, then manage to find a tissue in my pocket and try to clean at least his face up a bit. "We'd better go find that egg," I tell him, rubbing at his nose with the tissue.  
  
Ken nods and swallows hard, suddenly looking nervous. "What if . . . he doesn't want me?" he asks hoarsely. "After all that I've done, I couldn't blame him."  
  
"Ken," I say firmly, "he died to protect you from yourself. He's going to be so happy when he sees that you're yourself again that he won't care about the past." He's still kind of muddy, and his hair's almost as bad as it was when he was the Digimon Kaiser, but I don't think that Wormmon's going to mind so I pull his digivice out of my pocket and turn on its tracking program.  
  
"Which way?" Ken asks softly, tucking a dripping lock of hair behind his ear.  
  
I glance at the screen. "Northwest, " I reply, and then return it to him. After all, if Ken's going to join us I going to have to start trusting him completely. Might as well get a head start.  
  
We start towards the village and tumble across the nursery almost immediately. Hundreds of eggs stretch before us and Ken gasps in shock at the sight.  
  
"H-How am I ever going to find Wormmon's?!" he stammers, horrified.  
  
"Don't worry, the tracker on your digivice is really accurate!" V-mon promises cheerfully.  
  
"B-But it's like looking for a needle in a haystack!" Ken cries, still not calmed.  
  
"Well, at least you've got a magnet!" I say just as cheerfully as V-mon. This can't be that hard with Ken's digivice guiding us, after all.  
  
Two hours later, I change my mind.  
  
"Man, this totally stinks!" I complain, flopping to the ground and sitting Indian-style, arms folded across my chest.  
  
"I'm so hungry!" V-mon whines. "Daisuuuke, can we go home yet?"  
  
"At this rate I'll never find Wormmon," Ken says despondently, dropping to his knees beside me.  
  
"Well, I hope you don't!" a squeaky voice pipes up from behind us.  
  
"Huh?" We turn around to find ourselves face-to . . . knee with a small black Digimon with large, luminous yellow eyes and tiny, catlike ears.  
  
"Where'd this guy come from?" I wondered aloud, though it's not hard to guess. A broken eggshell is right behind him.  
  
"Why don't you want us to find Wormmon?" V-mon asks the little digimon, puzzled.  
  
"That's the Digimon Kaiser that you're helping, didn't you know?!" the digimon demands. "He'll only hurt Wormmon if he finds him!"  
  
"That's right!" A second tiny digimon, this one white, joins the first.  
  
"I-I wouldn't!" Ken stammers, clearly striken.  
  
"You did before!" a hot voice says. Another small red digimon bounces up next to her fellows. "Why should we believe you wouldn't again?"  
  
"Hey, bug off, small fry!" I snap as I see Ken cringe. I half- step in from of him and glare at the offending digimon, clenching a fist. "Ken's not like that anymore!"  
  
"Are you sure?" the white digimon asks cruelly. "What if he's using you so that he can try again?"  
  
"Wh-What?!" I choke, my eyes widening in disbelief.  
  
"He IS a genius," the red adds. "He could be tricking you and you'd never know it until he wanted you to."  
  
"That's . . . That's not . . ." I begin, and then trail off. It makes sense, doesn't it? Because I am the stupid Chosen Child. Even Iori tends to figure things out before I do, and he's just a kid. And why else would Ken have kissed me last night? After all, he's a 'charismatic boy genius,' and I'm . . . well, me. The only thing that I can do is play soccer. Everybody wants to be Ken. Me, I always wanted to be like Tai. And yeah, Tai's awesome, but . . .  
  
He's not the kind of guy that someone like Ken Ichijouji would go after. And since, as everybody knows, I'm basically a bad Xerox of Tai, that makes me undesirable by association.  
  
I shake my head, trying to snap myself out of it. It doesn't matter if Ken wants me or just physical comfort. That doesn't have anything to do with the issue. I promised myself that I'd give him a second chance, and that's what I'm giving him.  
  
For an instant, I glance behind me. Ken's head is hanging and he's hugging himself, looking truly miserable.  
  
"Is-Is that all there is for me, then?" he asks hoarsely. "I know I don't deserve another chance, but . . . I'm -I'm so sorry, and I want to make it up to everyone . . ."  
  
"You think you can just say you're sorry and make it all okay?!" the black digimon cries in disgust. "This isn't a fairy tale!"  
  
Ken takes a step back, eyes bright with tears again and looking as if he's been physically struck. Instantly, all my doubts vanish in the wake of a sudden rush of protectiveness.  
  
"Exactly!" I cry right back. "It's not a fairy tale! The difference between good and evil is all a matter of perspective, and Ken's has changed!"  
  
"Yeah!" V-mon agrees confidently. "So stop picking on him! He isn't here for you anyway!"  
  
"Shh," a friendly voice scolds before the digimon trio can form a retort. "You'll wake the rest of the babies."  
  
"Who-?" I begin, spinning around. The speaker is a short red Digimon, about V-mon's height, with large blue eyes and a pleasant smile.  
  
"That's Elecmon, Daisuke!" V-mon tell me excitedly. "He's the caretaker of Primary Village!"  
  
"Shhh! You'll wake the baby!" Elecmon shushes us, gesturing to the small green Digimon in his arms. "Yes, I am in charge around here, and you're lucky I don't kick you out!"  
  
"I'm so sorry, honestly, I'll leave the moment I find Wormmon, just don't throw us out until then!" Ken begs desperately.  
  
"Just keep it down!" Elecmon hisses, holding a finger (claw?) to his lips.  
  
"But Elecmon, he's the Digimon Kaiser!" the trio of infant digimon cry in horror.  
  
"I know that," Elecmon replies patiently, seeming more concerned with rocking the sleeping baby in his arms than speaking with us.  
  
"B-B-But he's evil!" the black digimon squeaks.  
  
"He was," Elecomon corrects, and my heart skips a beat. "But I believe . . ." Elecmon continues slowly, "that friendship is a very powerful thing, more so than all of the powers of darkness combined, and love is the same. And, as long as you have someone to care for you, you can never be totally evil, because that person sees something there that's worth saving."  
  
"Even when you destroy that person?!" the white digimon demands. Ken cringes and I automatically step in front of him again, feeling strangely defensive.  
  
"Buzz off, you overgrown marshmallow!" I bark, balling my fists. "Stop tryin' to make him feel even worse!"  
  
"The babies!" Elecmon warns. "Not all of them are being reborn, you know. Some of them are one their first tries."  
  
The trio looks guilty and mutters a few apologies, and Ken, Veemon, and I do the some. No sense in getting thrown out now, is there?  
  
"As I was saying," Elecmon continues, looking a little annoyed with us. "A long time ago, a little boy and an Patamon taught me that fighting usually isn't worth the trouble."  
  
That must have been the first time T.K. was in the digital world, I realize, but keep quiet so Elecmon can continue.  
  
"Sometimes, you can't help but fight," he goes on. "But sometimes, there are better ways to defeat your enemy. It's very hard to fight someone who cares for you."  
  
He falls silent, content with rocking the baby in his arm as the rest of us let that sink in.  
  
"So . . ." V-mon lets the sentence hang.  
  
Elecmon turns to Ken. "So that's why I'm going to let you take Leafmon," he finishes, holding out the still-sleeping Digimon in his arms, a little green thing with a pinky-pacifier mouth and a leaf-like antenna on top of his head.  
  
"Leaf . . . mon?" Ken's eyes widen in surprise. "Is-Is this-?"  
  
Leafmon's eyes suddenly blink open. The first thing he sees is Ken, and the little digimon instantly throws himself at the ex- Kaiser, squealing, "KEN-CHAN!"  
  
Ken automatically catches him and stares down at him in disbelief. "W-Wormmon? Is-Is that you?" he stammers in disbelief.  
  
Leafmon puffs up happily. "Of course it's me!" he declares. "Or it will be after I digivolve!"  
  
"Wormmon- I- I mean, Leafmon!" Ken corrects himself with a choked sound that might be either a laugh or a sob. "I'm so glad that you're okay!" He starts to cry again, this time happy rather than sad, and hugs Leafmon to himself.  
  
I'm getting one of those funny feelings again- warm and fuzzy, and maybe a little jealous too. V-mon leans against my leg and the jealousy fades slightly. Leafmon's been waiting a long time for Ken to be kind to him.  
  
Ken suddenly looks up from Leafmon, scrubbing his tears away self-consciously. "Daisuke . . ." he says, and his voice has regained a measure of its old calm. "Thank you for bringing my here- I never knew about this place."  
  
"Probably a good thing," the red Digimon grumbles.  
  
"Give it up, wouldja?" V-mon growls, aiming a half-hearted kick at her.  
  
"You're welcome Ken," I tell him loudly, ushering the trio away and flashing him a grin. "Ready to go home?"  
  
Ken pales. "Mama and Papa," he half-whispers. "I'd almost forgotten them!" He grabs my hand and my body temperature shoots into the triple digits. "Come on, Daisuke, let's go! I miss them so much!" he says urgently, tugging me forward.  
  
"Okay, okay!" I laugh and follow him, V-mon on my heels.  
  
"Goodbye, Elecmon, thank you so much for your help!" Ken calls back to the digi-babysitter, bowing as well as he can with Leafmon under one arm, Veemon running around between his legs, and his free hand holding mine.  
  
Elecmon smiles and waves goodbye as Ken runs off, dragging me after him. I offer a quick wave back at Primary Village, then turn to face forward so I won't wind up falling flat on my face just as we reach a handy TV in the middle of the field (don't ask me how the things get here, I'm just glad that they do).  
  
Ken looks at me expectantly, and I pull out my digivice. "Digiport, open!" I call, and the TV glows bright white, sucking us in.  
  
One awe-inducing digital headtrip later, the four of us land on the computer lab floor in a hopeless knot. Leafmon's squeaking, Chibimon's chattering about food, and Ken's laughing giddily. Hearing that, I almost don't mind that the other three are crushing me. Almost.  
  
"Would you guys get offa me?!" I growl, trying to sit up. Ken moves aside, hugging Leafmon to his chest and looking sheepish.  
  
"Sorry, Daisuke," he apologizes, biting his lip. "Are you okay?"  
  
"Yeah, I'm fine," I mumble, getting to my knees. "Just a little flatter than before."  
  
Ken smiles and suddenly leans towards me; a lot closer than I'd like. I can't think with him that close . . . not that I usually bother to think much anyway.  
  
"Ah, Daisuke . . ." he begins hesitantly. "What time is it?"  
  
I blink at the question but glance towards the clock. "Eleven forty-five."  
  
"It's almost lunchtime!" Demiveemon cheers.  
  
"I'm really hungry," Leafmon mumbles, his antenna drooping slightly.  
  
"I hope Mama and Papa have something for you to eat, Leafmon," Ken says worriedly.  
  
"You might wanna eat before you go home," I advise him. "Your parents are probably going to be too busy freaking out to feed you or Leafmon."  
  
"Why, Daisuke!" Ken smiles slyly, suddenly leaning even closer. "Are you asking me out to lunch?"  
  
"W-What?!" I squawk in alarm, nearly falling over. "Y-You mean, like on a date?! No, I- I mean- that is-"  
  
"Because if you are," Ken continues, putting Leafmon down on his lap and scooting slightly closer to me. "I'd love to go."  
  
La-la-la-la-la. Hearts and flowers and pretty pastels everywhere with rainbow-colored soap bubbles in the background. Tra-la-la, welcome to 'I-Like-Ken'-land, population: Daisuke Motomiya.  
  
"Well?" Ken asks softly, his voice betraying a trace of nervousness.  
  
I can't help but grin. "I know this awesome place- it serves the absolute BEST sushi in Kyoto."  
  
Ken's face lights up. "Sound wonderful . . ." he says with a slightly dreamy smile. I get to my feet, still grinning, and help Ken up. Aww, he's blushing again! How cute!  
  
"First things first, though," I say teasingly. "You need a shower!" I point to his mud-caked clothes with a smirk and his blush deepens.  
  
"Oh, you're gonna give Ken another bath?" Chibimon asks brightly.  
  
"Daisuke's going to do WHAT?!" Leafmon's beady little eyes bug out. "Ken, you're not old enough to do things like that!" he protests.  
  
"Gah!" Ken chokes and turns and interesting shade of pink, staring at Leafmon in horrified disbelief. "LEAFMON!"  
  
"I just hope that you're being safe," Leafmon says with a sigh, his antenna drooping slightly.  
  
"Dear God, I did not just hear that!" Ken sputters, clapping his hand over his ears.  
  
"Do you know about it?" Leafmon demands.  
  
"What?!" Ken yelps.  
  
"You know- 'it'," Chibimon says slyly, smirking slightly.  
  
"Oh my God, please stop talking!" I cry, covering my own ears. "We so do not need a talk about the birds and the bees from a root and an overgrown teddy bear!"  
  
"But do you KNOW?!" Chibimon presses, jumping onto my shoulder.  
  
"Of course I know!" I squawk in embarrassment, feeling my face heat up. "We've got cable, don't we?!"  
  
"So you know HOW to-" Leafmon begins.  
  
"YES, we know, Leafmon!" Ken moans, hiding his face in his hands.  
  
"Do you know everything?" Chibimon asks suspiciously.  
  
"I am NOT having this conversation!" Ken wails, collapsing into a chair. I fall to the floor at his feet, not sure whether I should laugh or cry. As Leafmon and Chibimon keep up their merciless interrogation, I reach out and give Ken's hand a reassuring little squeeze.  
  
He smiles at me and squeezes back, then leans down to wrap his arms around my neck. I get up on my knees and return the embrace, resting my head on his shoulder and hugging him as hard as I can.  
  
I've decided: I'll laugh. I'll laugh from now until forever; laugh for him, with him, at myself . . . Whatever happens, I'll always laugh. Because I've got him with me.  
  
And I adore him.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
* tbc . . . *  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
. : reviews, onegai? : . 


	3. Glass Houses

A/N: Ah, finally updating this fic. -^__^- The original story is at least a year old now, so as soon as each chapter gets typed up, I have to reread the whole thing, then go over it and fix all the errors and typos- not to mention all the rewriting I have to do. XP  
  
I made some really stupid mistakes with this thing the first time around, and I think that I'll probably have to completely scrap the original ending. Just in case you care. ^_~  
  
Daisuke's POV.  
  
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"Glass Houses"  
  
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"That was great!" Chibimon cheers, licking his lips. "You were right, Daisuke, this place has the best sushi ever!"  
  
"Shh! Keep it down, dummy!" I hiss at him, glancing around to make sure that no one else in the restaurant heard the "stuffed animal" in my lap talking. "Do you want to get us kicked out?"  
  
"Sorry, Daisuke," he says sheepishly, giving me his best "I'm just an innocent lil' mascot and too cutely naïve to realize that I'm getting you in trouble" look. He's an annoyingly good actor.  
  
"It's okay, you two, I don't think anyone saw," Ken reassures us as he slips Leafmon a piece of crab cake. How come he gets the well-behaved digimon?  
  
"I think you're right," I agree. "So it looks like your disguise is working too, huh?"  
  
Ken smiles happily, his eyes gentle. It's really strange to think of him as the Kaiser when he looks like this. "I'm glad," he says softly. "This way I can talk to someone I actually care for, instead of a bunch of nameless reporters."  
  
Dammit, I'm blushing again! I quickly distract myself by giving Ken's "disguise" another once-over.  
  
It's actually not much as disguises go- basically, we'd grabbed jeans and a white tank top from my closet and stolen the leather jacket Jun's last boyfriend had lent her and (surprise, surprise) never gotten back. Add in a pair of decent sunglasses and that extra hat I'd "borrowed" from T.G. a few weeks ago (what can I say: Motomiyas are notoriously bad at returning stuff) and Ken looks surprisingly normal. It's actually kinda creepy. I'm used to seeing him so confident and straitlaced- but now he looks much more relaxed, if a little nervous.  
  
I pick my chopsticks up and proceed to tuck in as much of my plate as I can. "Hate to cut our little date short, but it's almost two," I explain when I notice Ken's curious expression at my speed. "And you're already a few months late to get home," I add with a slightly sheepish grin, scratching my nose.  
  
"Oh God," he groans as he claps a hand to his forehead. "I'm such an idiot!" I let that pass without comment and he continues: "I completely forgot! Mama and Papa must be so angry with me!"  
  
"You're kidding me, right?" I snort. "Dude, they go on the news every night practically begging for their little Ken-chan to come home."  
  
Ken's face falls. "I'm . . . such a bastard," he hisses suddenly, clenching his fists together. "How could I do that to them?"  
  
"It's not your fault," I tell him with a shrug, lowering my chopsticks. "You weren't thinking clearly."  
  
"That's right, Ken, you weren't yourself," Leafmon agrees from his lap, his voice softly reassuring.  
  
Ken lowers his head for a moment, then suddenly snaps it back up, eyes determined. "Enough of this avoiding the inevitable!" he practically spits, slamming a fist on the table and making the plates bounce. "I'm going home!" He jumps to his feet and races out of the restaurant. I snatch one last piece of sushi (mmm, salmon) and quickly follow. Well, he is my date, isn't he?  
  
Chibimon and I catch up to Ken and Leafmon inside the subway station and barely manage to get onto the train they're riding in time.  
  
"Man, Ken, if you wanted to leave you could've at least warned me!" I complain, clutching the stitch in my side and collapsing into a seat next to him. I am definitely not the obstacle course type, okay? Daisuke plays soccer: no likies track.  
  
"I apologize, Daisuke," Ken says quietly. "I have been a little overly emotional as of late. I will try to restrain myself from now on."  
  
"Whatever," I mutter, slouching in my seat. What's with this guy? First he's hot and heavy, then he's cute and shy, and now he's about as lively as a dead slug! If he'd just stop giving me all these mixed messages, maybe I could figure out how I feel about HIM!  
  
Ken takes my hand and gives it a slight squeeze, not meeting my eyes.  
  
Tra-la-la. Cherry blossoms drifting on the wind and harp music, everything suddenly tinted with pastels. Once again, welcome to 'I Like Ken'-land: A Nice Place To Live.  
  
Oh yeah. That's how I feel about him.  
  
I squeeze back and he turns to meet my eyes, expression apologetic. God, his eyes. . . They've changed so much in just two days. He looks like an actual kid for the first time since I've met him. Well, not a normal kid, of course- his eyes are still a little too old.  
  
Even my parents' eyes don't look so old.  
  
The train comes to a stop and I get to my feet. Ken raises an eyebrow. "You know where I live," he observes.  
  
"Wasn't too hard to figure out," I reply with a shrug. "Well, at least not for Izzy," I amend a moment later. Ken laughs as we exit the train and I get that now-familiar warm and fuzzy rush.  
  
I can't help myself- I want to feel like this forever, and I want Ken to feel it too. Heck, I'm practically skipping: I feel like I could start turning cartwheels any second now if something doesn't bring me back down to earth quickly.  
  
"Daisuke?"  
  
Uh-oh.  
  
A startled-looking Taichi and Yamato stand in front of us, blocking the station exit. Talk about your reality checks. I wanted to COME down to earth, not crash.  
  
"Hey, guys!" I greet them "cheerfully." I have to make a serious effort to keep my voice from cracking. A tip: Mind- numbing terror and crush-induced giddiness do not mix well.  
  
"Hi, Daisuke . . ." Yamato says slowly. Taichi is less subtle.  
  
"Where the hell have you been?!" he demands. "We thought you'd been kidnapped! Brainwashed! KILLED! And now you just turn up in a random subway station with the Digimon Kaiser and all you have to say is 'hey guys'?!"  
  
"Ex-Kaiser," I correct automatically. "But that's pretty much right."  
  
To my surprise, Yamato starts to laugh at the shocked expression on Taichi's face. "I don't believe it!" he says gleefully. "Daisuke, I think you've actually stunned him into silence!"  
  
Was Yamato always this weird, or did hanging out in the digiworld just fry his brain? Before I can think too hard on the subject (I probably wouldn't like the answer anyway), something tugs on my ankle. Looking down, I see Chibimon, looking uncharacteristically solemn. He jerks his head meaningfully behind me.  
  
I turn immediately, coming face-to-face with Ken. For a second I almost don't understand what Demiveemon wanted me to see, but then I notice Leafmon. He's trembling like a- well, like a leaf. But it's not out of fear.  
  
Ken's whole body is shaking, even though his face is impassive. He looks like he's about to collapse any second.  
  
"Ken," I say softly. He jerks away from me, tightening his grip on Leafmon, who yelps in surprise.  
  
"Oh, God, Leafmon, did I hurt you?!" Ken cries, his voice panicky. He sounds this close to hysteria, and I automatically grab his shoulder for support.  
  
"I'm okay, Ken, you just startled me," Leafmon promises quickly. "It didn't hurt."  
  
Taichi and Yamato blink in surprise, sharing a puzzled look.  
  
"Leafmon?" Taichi asks curiously. "Who's that?"  
  
"Leafmon digivolves into Wormmon," I explain, shoving my hand into my pockets. I don't like the way this is going . . .  
  
"Was he reborn?" Yamato asks curiously, leaning forward slightly to inspect the little green digimon. "How'd you find him?"  
  
"Uhh. . ." I wince and Yamato and Taichi are immediately glaring at me.  
  
"You did not take the Digimon Kaiser to Primary Village," Taichi says flatly. "Please tell me you didn't, Daisuke."  
  
"Well, how else were we supposed to get Leafmon?" I ask defensively.  
  
"You could have borrowed Ken's digivice and left him in your room while you went," Yamato replies calmly.  
  
Crap. That was supposed to be a rhetorical question.  
  
"Daisuke, we know you're trying to do the right thing, but it's probably not a good idea to hang out with Ken one-on-one," he continues quietly. "Especially not in the digital world."  
  
For a moment, that stupid little reborn digimon's words ring in my head: "He IS a genius. He could be tricking you and you'd never know it until he wanted you to."  
  
But . . .  
  
"I trust him," I say flatly. "I promised Ken I'd give him a second chance, and if I'm doing that for him, I'm going to do it right. No red tape or only-if's. So as far as I'm concerned, he's my friend now, like you two are, and I'm going to treat him like one."  
  
I pull my hand out of my pocket and rest it on Ken's shoulder again, meeting Yamato and Taichi's eyes without flinching. I can't back down on this. Somehow, I know it deep in my gut: without us, Ken will fall again, little by little, until one day the ground gives way completely and that kind person he was will be dragged down into the darkness and once again replaced with a deluded puppet that only thinks he's in charge.  
  
"He's one of ours, Yamato-senpai," I say quietly. "And the Chosen Children don't leave each other behind."  
  
Suddenly, and admittedly unexpectedly, Taichi grins and nudges Yamato with his elbow, then whispers something into his ear. Yamato's eyes widen and he stares at Taichi in shock for a moment.  
  
"That's not funny," he says finally, still looking slightly weirded out.  
  
"I wasn't joking," Taichi replies cheerfully.  
  
"I think he's right, Ken and Daisuke DO make a cute couple!" Chibimon pipes up brightly, bouncing up and down a few times to emphasize his point. I forget how good his hearing is sometimes.  
  
"Chibimon!" I hiss, feeling myself go pale even as Ken turns bright red.  
  
"But you DO, Daisuke!" Chibimon insists.  
  
"And weren't you two just on a da-" Leafmon starts to add. Ken claps a hand over his digimon's mouth.  
  
"Leafmon, I love you very much and I'm very glad that you are not dead, but if you finish that sentence, I will be forced to hurt you," he murmurs under his breath even as his blush deepens.  
  
"Can I finish it?" Chibimon asks hopefully.  
  
I bare my teeth at him in something that might resemble a grin. "Just try it."  
  
Chibimon takes one look at my expression and wilts. "I'll be good."  
  
"Excellent, then!" I reply with a real grin. "No problems!"  
  
"Right!" Chibimon agrees eagerly. "I won't tell anyone that you're dating Ken, Daisuke, don't worry!"  
  
There is a moment of silence; then Ken and I yell: "CHIBIMON!" at the exact same moment Taichi and Yamato shout: "DAISUKE!"  
  
Oh, THIS is going to be fun to explain.  
  
"Uh . . ." I begin, but Taichi interrupts.  
  
"You could've mentioned that you were gay before, you know!" he says angrily, grabbing me by the shirt. "Is THAT why you always harass my sister? So people will think you're straight?!"  
  
I just stare at him for a moment, too shocked by the accusation to speak.  
  
"You do realize that she likes Takeru, don't you?" Tai continues in fury, glaring at me. "The only reason they aren't together is because she doesn't want to hurt your goddamn feelings!"  
  
"They've both been miserable for months!" Yamato adds furiously. And cue Overprotective Onii-san #2. "And all this time you were just using her?! How COULD you, Daisuke?!"  
  
Using . . . Hikari?  
  
They can't be serious.  
  
"Are you NUTS?!" I yell, yanking out of Taichi's grasp. "I'd never do something like that to Hikari!"  
  
"Then what are you doing to Ken?" Yamato asks mildly, but his glare betrays his light tone.  
  
Ken cringes and I say something that I probably shouldn't in my anger, in my desire to make Yamato suffer for hurting someone so fragile unprovoked: "Ever hear the saying 'the thief thinks everyone is stealing form him'?" I spit.  
  
"What the hell is THAT supposed to mean?" Taichi asks in bewilderment.  
  
Yamato, however, understands perfectly. I'm not quite as oblivious as the others think. I can see the way he looks at Taichi just as clearly as I can see the way Takeru looks at Hikari- but Yamato is dating Sora, not Taichi.  
  
Gee, I wonder why.  
  
"Ken, we'd better get going," I say quietly. I'm already sorry for what I've said, but you can't take back the truth.  
  
Ken nods quickly and follows me towards his apartment with small, hurried steps. I glance back once and see Taichi, looking very confused and comforting a shaking Yamato.  
  
Guilt twinges in my stomach as I turn back to Ken, and I remember what Tai said.  
  
"You do realize that she likes Takeru, don't you?"  
  
I think that I have a very unpleasant phone call to make.  
  
Love you, Hikari.  
  
Love you, Ken.  
  
*  
  
*  
  
* tbc . . . *  
  
*  
  
*  
  
. : love is THIS : . 


End file.
